GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK — Whitebark pine trees, gentle giants high in the mountains, are an important part of the Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) landscape, but the species faces increasing threats due to changing ecosystems.
GTNP wrote in a Friday social media post that whitebark pines are found high on windswept ridges in the park. They are resilient trees shaped by tough alpine conditions, and they are considered a keystone species, per GTNP, which is a species that helps hold the ecosystem together.
“One of their remarkable traits?” GTNP wrote. “They shade patches of high-elevation snow, slowing snowmelt so more water can soak into the ground instead of rushing away — helping sustain alpine landscapes well into summer.”
Whitebark pine seeds provide a source of high-fat food to wildlife, and the trees rely on Clark’s nutcrackers and other birds to disperse the seeds. These trees can live to be well over 1,000 years old.
Today, whitebark pine trees in the Western U.S. face threats from mountain pine beetles, warming temperatures, and white pine blister rust — a disease caused by a non-native fungus that originated in Asia. According to the U.S. Forest Service, white pine blister rust has spread to 38 states and caused substantial damage and mortality to species of white pine. The disease continues to spread in high elevation areas.
GTNP said that park scientists are working to study, protect and restore the high-elevation trees in an effort to maintain a healthy population for the future. The whitebark pine tree was given protected status as a threatened species under the endangered species act in 2022. Researchers and scientists in Yellowstone National Park are also working to strengthen and maintain the local forests.
